Colorado Headwaters Land Trust (CHLT) announces a new conservation easement granted by Kathryn and Max Webel and their family, south of Hot Sulphur Springs along Himebaugh Creek.
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO – Colorado Headwaters Land Trust (CHLT) announced in late December that they acquired a gorgeous 275-acre conservation easement between the Arapaho National Forest and the Town of Hot Sulphur Springs. The easement was donated in part by the landowners, Kathryn and Max Webel and their family, with other significant funding by the Open Lands, Rivers, and Trails Fund (OLRT) of Grand County, the Gates Family Foundation, the Muley Fanatic Foundation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Habitat Protection Program, and Colorado Headwaters Land Trust.
Kathryn and Max Webel have owned the property for 20 years and lease it for livestock grazing with local ranchers. The property is also used for recreation by residents of the Himebaugh Estates Owners Association. The Webels want to conserve the property to protect the scenic open spaces and wildlife habitats of central Grand County. The property also has a long history of agricultural use, a primary industry of Grand County, further contributing to its conservation value of open space.
The Jones Creek Ranch Conservation Easement is home to a variety of species of wildlife that roam throughout Grand County, including big game, predators, and migratory birds. Himebaugh Creek flows through the property and is a tributary to the Colorado River. The property also borders Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Parks and Wildlife lands, as well as other private holdings. Conserving the property guarantees more contiguous open space and migratory pathways for all the resident species.
“Closing on this easement is a great way to close out 2020,” said Jeremy D. Krones, CHLT’s Executive Director. “This has been a tough year for all of us and I am so happy to be able to leave 2020 on a good note. We are so thankful to the Webels for their generosity and strong conservation ethic, as well as to the Open Lands, Rivers, and Trails Advisory Committee and the Grand County Board of County Commissioners for providing such great support for this project. Thank you also to the Gates Family Foundation, the Muley Fanatic Foundation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and all the great supporters of Colorado Headwaters Land Trust.”
The Jones Creek Ranch Conservation Easement is CHLT’s 65th easement since the land trust began in 1995, and brings the total acres conserved by CHLT in Grand County to 9,185.
Colorado Headwaters Land Trust’s primary land protection tool is the conservation easement, a voluntary legal document between the landowner and the land trust that identifies a property’s conservation values, such as scenic open space, wildlife habitat, agricultural open space, and historical significance. An easement permanently protects those values by restricting development, subdivision, and other non-compatible uses of the property. In exchange, the landowner can receive payment and/or federal tax deductions and state tax credits based on the value of the easement. Colorado Headwaters Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the only land trust located in Grand County. Anyone interested in learning more about the land trust can call (970) 887-1177, email info@coloradoheadwaterslandtrust.org, or visit www.cohlt.org.
 announces a new conservation easement granted by Kathryn and Max Webel and their family, south of Hot Sulphur Springs along Himebaugh Creek.){kind=link}